In August 1979, Heart travelled to Japan to play their first ever shows in the country. Released 11 months earlier, the band's fourth album, Dog & Butterfly, had sold two million copies in the United States, and reached number 67 on Japan's Oricon chart, an indication that their profile was rising. "Heart used to make a great story, noted Rolling Stone writer Ariel Swartley approvingly. "Now they've made a great album."
The group were booked to play three shows in Japan, as part of the Japan Jam series, headlined by the Beach Boys, and also featuring fellow Seattle hard rock act TKO and Boulder, Colorado melodic rockers Firefall.
